“Of Mice and Men” Essay Plan

Intermediate One 2010

Choose a novelor a short story or a piece of non-fiction in which there is a person towards whom you feel a strong emotion such as sympathyor hatred or admiration.

Say how you feel about the person, and explain why you feel this way.

Introduction

  • Write an opening sentence giving the name of the text, the author and using the words of the question.
  • Explain that the character you feel sympathy for is George.
  • Briefly, explain that George is an itinerant worker in California, in the 1930’s during the Great Depression in America.
  • Explain that he travels with his friend, Lennie, who has learning difficulties. Explain that they share a dream of one day owning their own farm.
  • State that you feel sympathy for George because it can be difficult to look after Lennie at times. State that the novel’s tragic ending also makes you feel sympathy for George.

Section One

P Write a sentence (use a linking word) to explain that you feel sympathy for George because it can be frustrating and difficult for George when he has to look after Lennie.

E Explain that we first meet George and Lennie at the beginning of the novel when they come into the clearing. Explain they are heading towards the ranch for their next job.

Quote words and phrases that show that George seems bad tempered and which show he gets angry easily.

AExplain what this tells us about George’s character.

RExplain why this makes us feel sympathy for George as his language demonstrates that he is often angry and frustrated.

PWrite a sentence (use a linking word) explaining that you also feel sympathy for George because it can be difficult looking after Lennie.

E Give an example of something from Chapter One that Lennie does to upset George. Quote George’s response to this.

AExplain why you think George gets angry with Lennie.

RExplain why you feel sympathetic for George at this point. (For better marks, you should try to give as many reasons as you can)

PExplain that you feel sympathy for George when he expresses his anger towards Lennie and then feels guilty about losing his temper.

E Explain that George becomes so frustrated with Lennie that he says that he would better off without him. Write down the quotation that shows us this.

AExplain why George might feel this way. Explain whether or not George really means what he says when he says he would be better off without Lennie.

RTry to give as many reason as you can why you feel sympathetic for George having to look after Lennie.

Section Two

PWrite a topic sentence with a linking word which states that you feel sympathetic for George because, despite the difficulties, George is kind and cares for Lennie. He protects Lennie against other people.

EGive an example of a time when George shows that he cares about Lennie. Explain what happens and then give a quotation to prove your point.

AExplain how this example shows how George feels about Lennie.

(For a more developed point, you could give another example and analyse this before moving on to your response)

R Explain why this makes you feel sympathetic towards George. (Again, try to give more than one reason.)

Section Three

PWrite a topic sentence explaining that you feel sympathetic towards George because he has to shoot Lennie at the end of the novel. Write a couple of sentences to explain why George has to shoot Lennie.

EExplain how difficult George finds it to kill Lennie. Introduce a quotation which shows that George is struggling to kill him.

AExplain why George is finding it so difficult. How does he feel about Lennie and why he feels this way.

RExplain why this makes you feel sympathetic towards George.

PWrite a topic sentence (use a linking word) which states that Lennie’s death means the loss of the dream for George and that this is another reason why you feel sympathy for George.

EExplain that George and Lennie are different from the other itinerant workers because they travel with each other and aren’t alone. Use a quotation to prove this point.

AExplain why George and Lennie are so important to one another. Try to give as many reasons as you can.

RTry to explain why this makes you feel sympathy or George at this point.

PMake the point that you feel sympathy for George because without Lennie, he has lost his dream of the farm.

EIntroduce and write down a quotation which shows that Lennie kept alive the dream of “living of the fatta the lan’”

A Try to give as many reasons as possible as to why George doesn’t want to carry on without Lennie.

RGive reasons why this makes you feel sympathetic towards George.

Conclusion

  • Write a topic sentence stating that there are several reasons why you feel sympathetic towards George in the John Steinbeck’s novel “of Mice and Men”
  • Give a brief summary of the reasons you have discussed in your essay.
  • You may want to say which of the reasons for your sympathy is the strongest and why you feel this way.